Georgia Residency

  • Board of Regents policy deems that if you are currently enrolled in a USG school as a Resident and stay continuously enrolled then your residency remains the same regardless of where your parents live and if they claim you as a dependent in another state.
    1. If the parent in Georgia claimed you as a dependent on their Georgia tax return for the most recent tax year then your tuition classification can be changed to Resident with a copy of that parent’s Georgia 500.
    2. If the parent you live with claims you as a dependent in the state they live in and you are under the age of 24 you are most likely eligible for Non-Resident Student Out-of-State Tuition Waiver. See the Forms page to obtain the waiver form to submit to our office.
  • The Board of Regents does not recognize DACA as a lawfully present status and therefore students in the United States on the DACA status do not qualify to pay in-state tuition. This includes both being classified as a Resident or receiving an out-of-state tuition waiver.
  • If your parents continued to claim you as a dependent on their Georgia tax return while you attended school in another state, we can review a copy of their Georgia tax return for the most recent tax year to reclassify you to a Resident. If they did not, then you do not qualify to be classified as a Resident. However, if you are under 24 years old, you may qualify for the Non-Resident Student Out-of-State tuition waiver. See the Waivers page for more information.

  • Students under the age of 24 are considered a dependent of their parents. If the parents are claiming the student as a dependent on their taxes and/or supporting the student with more than 40% of their finances, then the student is still a dependent of that state and cannot be made a Resident of Georgia.

    If the parents do not support the student or claim them as a dependent on their taxes and the student has self-sustaining income (above the federal poverty level) and meets all other eligibility requirements, the student may submit a petition to change their tuition classification. See the Georgia Residency page and the Petition to Change Tuition Classification on the Forms page for more information.

  • You can not be classified as a Resident until you have lived in Georgia for 12 consecutive months. However, if you moved here for to accept a full time job offer in Georgia that you received PRIOR to moving to Georgia, you may qualify for the Economic Advantage waiver. See the Out-of-State Tuition Waivers page and the Forms page for more information.
    1. Your State of Legal Residence was Georgia and you filed a Georgia tax return as a FULL YEAR RESIDENT for the most recent tax year—submit a copy of your Georgia tax return for review to change to a Resident.
    2. Your State of Legal Residence was Georgia on your LES but you filed as a NON-RESIDENT —You cannot be made a Resident of Georgia. However, you probably qualify for the Active Duty Military Waiver or Separated Military waiver. See the Out-of-State Tuition Waivers page and Forms page for more information.
    3. If your State of Legal Residence is another state, but you have separated from the last military within the last 36 months and or using VA educational benefits to pay for school, you should qualify for the Separated Military out-of-state tuition waiver. See the Military & Veterans tab for more information.  
    4. Your State of Legal Residence is another state, but you are active duty military—Read the qualifications on the Active Duty Military waiver to see if you, your dependent, or your spouse meet the qualifications listed. See the Forms page for the Active Duty Military Waiver form.
  • As a visa holder, you are not qualified to be a Resident of Georgia for tuition purposes regardless of the fact that you have lived in Georgia for more than a year and file taxes. However, the person in your family that is employed full time in Georgia and on an employment-based visa is in green card process you probably qualify for the Economic Advantage Out-of-State tuition waiver. See the Out-of-State Tuition Waivers page and the Forms page for more information.
  • Submit a copy of your Georgia tax return AND your parents Georgia tax return to review to change your tuition classification.

Out-of-Country Tuition

  • An eligible non-citizen status is one of the following. Please note that a pending application for one of these statuses, such as pending asylum or pending adjustment to permanent residency, is NOT an eligible non-citizen status until an approval notice has been received.

    1. Permanent Resident
    2. Asylum
    3. Refugee
    4. Cuban-Haitian Entrant
    5. Parolee status for one year or longer & has applied for Permanent Resident status
    6. VAWA or Prima Facie
    7. Jay Treaty
    8. Ukraine Parolee
    9. Afghanistan Parolee
    10. Victim of Human Trafficking/T Visa

  • The out-of-country tuition classification went into effect Fall 2024 per a change to the BOR Policy 4.2 Residency made by the Board of Regents. Since KSU is an institution under the University System of Georgia, we must adhere to the policy change.

  • Yes, your out-of-state tuition waiver will still waive your tuition down to just the in-state portion of your tuition even though you are classified as out-of-country.

  • One of the following: Front and back of your green card, Passport and I-94 stamp/visa that shows approval for your status, I-797 notice showing status is approved, USCIS approval letter, Employment Authorization Card showing Category Code that reflects approved status, etc. Submit your documents using the Out-of-Country Tuition Reclassification Form.

  • If you graduated from a high school, completed a homeschool program within the United States or a US territory, or passed the GED, HiSET, or similar exam, you can be classified as out-of-state. Otherwise, no, a pending application for permanent residency or asylum cannot be considered out-of-state.
  • Using the Out-of-Country Tuition Reclassification Form, indicate the city and state/territory that you graduated from.
  • Your current status on file does not reflect US Citizenship. Please complete the Out-of-Country Tuition Reclassification Form to submit a copy of your US birth certificate, US passport, or Certificate of Citizenship/Naturalization.
  • No, your classification from out-of-country vs out-of-state is based on the enrolled student’s status in the US only.

Documentation for Petitions & Waivers

  • Submit a notarized statement from the person who is leaseholder or homeowner stating the date you moved in and their address.
  • At the least we can accept the PERM Application receipt notice from the Department of Labor. You must also have a letter from your employer stating you are employed full time at a Georgia location and they are sponsoring you for permanent residency.

  • Your options are as follows:

    1. ask the leasing office for a copy,
    2. ask the leasing office for a letter on their letterhead stating when you lived there and the address,
    3. a notarized statement from a roommate attesting to when you lived with them and the address,
    4. a print out of your rental payment summary,
    5. copy of cancelled checks,
    6. utility bills in your name from the first month and last month you lived there

  • Your options are as follows:

    1. mortgage or utility bill statement going back 12 months prior to the first day of school and the most recent mortgage or utility bill statement or
    2. pg. 1 of your settlement papers
  • While a lot of the information we need is from your parents, YOU, the STUDENT, are the petitioner.
  • No, it is not a problem for proof of a Georgia license. It is a problem if that is the only thing you have to use for lawful presence verification IF the expiration date is less than 2 years from the issue date.
  • No you do not. Please mark that you do not operate a motor vehicle on pg. 5 of the petition.
  • Visit the Secretary of State’s My Georgia Voter Page to print your card.  https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do
  • All fall waivers are not applied to student accounts until the end of the third full week of JULY every year. If you had a waiver with a 12 month expiration and you first obtained your waiver the previous Fall semester, then you need to renew your waiver or petition to change your tuition classification.

Immigration Status Change

  • Congratulations! Bring your original Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, or United States Passport to the Tuition Classification Officer to have your citizenship status updated.
  • Congratulations! Bring your original green card or your passport with temporary I-551 stamp to the Tuition Classification Officer to have your status updated to Permanent Resident. You may discuss the possibility of reclassifying to a Resident at that time as well.
  • Bring your new Employment Authorization Card or new visa and passport to the Tuition Classification Officer to update your status and ensure you still qualify for the waiver.

Other

  • Lawful Presence Verification (LPV) verifies that a student is lawfully present in the United States. This DOES NOT prove Georgia residency. For information on what documentation can be accepted for LPV please visit the Lawful Presence Verification website.
  • You can submit your documents online through the Tuition Classification Documentation Submission Form.
  • It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they are registered under the correct tuition classification. All students have 30 days from the start date of the term to try to correct their tuition classification for that term. HOWEVER, if you want your tuition classification corrected or changed PRIOR to payment deadline you need to have your documents in our office at least a week prior to your payment deadline.
  • See the Academic Calendar on the Registrar’s website to view payment deadlines at registrar.kennesaw.edu